The story you are about to read is both fiction and non-fiction at the same time! It is fiction because many of the situations have been created in my imagination. Yet, the characters have come from real persons encountered in life. In fact, I’ve been each of them on different occasions. As you read these pages, may the characters come to life for you, may you see Jesus in the circumstances you encounter on a daily basis, and may you, like Crusty, find a friend with whom you can share your innermost thoughts and fears.

Christmas is a magical time of year but the magic cannot be attributed to someone pulling the spirit of Christmas out of a black hat. The magic of Christmas is attributed to the birth of a small newborn infant and the Spirit he brought with him. Join Crusty the Christian and me as we work ourselves through the seemingly over commercialization of Christmas.

Walking through the main entrance of the mall, I heard a familiar voice calling my name, “Hi Gary, over here.”

“If you’re buying. I’d like a large vanilla,” he called out with a big smile.

It took about 15 minutes to get the shakes, “I love Christmastime,” I commented as I sat down. All the lights and decorations remind me of the way Jesus has decorated my drab life.”

“Bah humbug!” Crusty exclaimed.

“What do you mean bah humbug,” I questioned, “you don’t like Christmastime?”

“I love Christmas and hate Christmastime, Crusty replied.

Sipping on our shakes neither of us spoke for three or 4 minutes then Crusty broke the silence, “Do you know what’s wrong with Christmastime Gary?”

“To commercialized?” I replied.

“It seems like it but that’s not it. Guess again,” he said.

“You don’t think Christmastime is too commercial?” I asked return.

“Heavens no! Gary,” he answered back, “Christmastime is commercial I’ll admit but think of all the people who are employed by the commercialization centering on this time of year.”

He was right Christmastime does provide people the opportunity to have a job; it’s also a time when retail companies such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, Malls, and other stores profits are up keeping thereby assuring their employees year round employment. “I’ve never looked at it that way,” I replied, “so what’s wrong with Christmastime?”

“Jesus is what’s wrong,” he answered in return.

“Jesus!” I reacted, “Haven’t you heard Jesus is the reason for the season?”

With a big grin on his face he responded, “I thought that would get a rise out of you. Had ya didn’t I?”

“You had me alright but I know you well enough to know you were serious,” I replied.

Looking more serious, “Your right I was serious, but not for the reason you’re thinking. “ We don’t emphasis Jesus enough at this time of year,” he stated.

“I think you’re wrong on that one Crusty,” I said, “are you saying we can have our cake, and eat it too?”

“I sure am,” he said.

“Jesus said something like you cannot serve God and money too,” I replied confidently.

“He also said to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and render unto God that which is Gods,” he replied just as confident as I had been.

“So?” I smugly answered.

“So the way I see it as long as I’m rendering unto God more than rendering unto Caesar things are in the proper order,” Crusty said.

“Okay, say I agree with you what about Jesus being the problem?” I asked.

There was a moment of silence then, “Long ago God sent angels to the shepherds to proclaim Jesus’ birth, and they went out and told others. Today he has all of us Christians so he doesn’t need to ask the angels he asks us instead. And do you know what we’re doing about it?” he asked.

I had to admit to myself that he was making a little sense so after thinking about what he’d just said for a few moments I replied, “You’re beginning to make sense to me Crusty.”

“I am!” he interrupted me, “That’s pretty close to being a first for me isn’t it?”

I knew he meant that in a smug way of telling me he’d just one-upped-me. “You got me again Crusty,” I said smiling, “but tell me what are we doing about being God’s messengers.”

“Not enough,” he replied.

“How so?” I asked.

“As you walk through the stores or drive down the street what slogans do you see?” he asked me.

I closed my eyes trying to remember the slogans I seen. After 2 or 3 minutes I said, “Peace on Earth and Merry Christmas are the two that stand out for me.” Almost instantly, I knew what he’d be saying next.

“How many front yards or stores do you see Jesus’ name in lights?” he asked.

I was close to knowing what his question would be so I was ready for it, “You don’t, but some places have manger scenes. Do they count?” I asked.

“You bet they count but there are not enough of them,” he replied, “if Jesus is the reason for the season as you said why shouldn’t his notoriety be greater than anything else?”

“Your right Crusty,” I answered, “Jesus should get more notoriety than Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the Grinch, Santa Claus, or any other Christmastime Icons.”

Suddenly I noticed tears forming in the corner of his eyes, “What if you drove down the streets, and standing in the front yards of Christian homes was an eight foot inflatable Baby Jesus with his arms out stretched? What if you saw slogans that wished Jesus a Happy Birthday? What if on the store shelves were action figures of Jesus that said, ‘I come to bring peace’ and other neat things?”

He paused for a moment to regain his composure and I seized the opportunity, “I believe everything you said Crusty we live in a world that tells itself over and over it needs Christmastime more than it needs Jesus. But what can we do about it?” I asked with tears now in my eyes.

After several minutes of silence and being unsuccessful at controlling his emotions, “I don’t know either, Gary. Maybe we Christians should stop trying to de-commercialize Christmastime and Christianize it. Maybe someone could manufacture and sell an eight foot inflatable Jesus’. I don’t really know what to do I guess I’m too simple of a thinker to solve such a complex problem but one thing I can do is to decorate my own yard with a Jesus theme.”

“Crusty,” I said looking him straight in the eyes, “for such a simple thinker you’ve got more wisdom than many people with PhD’s and CEO’s following their names.”

“Thanks my friend,” he replied, “you’re okay too.”

As we sat, silence as Santa Claus is Coming to Town played in the sound system of the mall. “Someone should write a song titled Jesus is Coming to Earth,” I commented.

Welcome!

Welcome to my Journey of Life please join Jesus N' Me as the world of my imagination and the world of reality meet on my way Home.

David L. Fleming, S.J wrote in his book “What is Ignatian Spirituality” (available at www.loyolapress.com) about the importance of the imagination to Ignatius.

"Ignatius first grasped the importance of the imagination during his long convalescence from his battle injuries. His key insights about God came through his imagination. The notes he took as he read about the life of Christ filled a 300-page notebook that he treasured for the rest of his life. The lives of the saints inspired him with noble thoughts of what he might do with his life. He told himself “St. Dominic did this, therefore I must do it. St. Francis did this, therefore I must do it.” Ignatius then daydreamed about feats of knightly valor and romantic adventures. His idle daydreams alternated between the two."

Like Ignatius and many others I too have gained key insights about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. However, for me equally important is spending time with Jesus in my imagination.

Since launching my hobby/career as a writer the majority of my writings have been using my imagination. Among my favorite is the story titled “Founder, the Tale of a Lost Sheep” which is based loosely around the parable Jesus told about the shepherd leaving the 99 and going in search of one lost sheep. It is my favorite because in many ways it is my story and the lengths Jesus went to in order to bring me back into the Fold of God. I will include that story at the end of this book.

What you are about to read is a collection of short stories some of which are based on scripture stories and others based solely on personal encounters with Jesus.

The Journey of the Imagination…

There is journey that exists outside the five senses where we can travel for brief periods. Where we can do what we want to do, be who we want to be, feel the way we want to feel, be with who we want to be with. It is a journey of complete safety, where there is no pain, where there is no sadness, where there is no loneliness. It is the Journey of the imagination.

Your imagination is friendly yet within it there are hidden dangers because it is not real; your imagination is a journey of beginnings. It can be the beginning of a new life style. It can mean the journey out of drug abuse, out of poverty, out of sin. It can mean planning for the future.

It can even provide temporary relief from reality it can bring temporary relief from the loneliness of missing a loved one? Use your imagination and you can relive fond memories. Do you want to know Jesus better? Using your imagination and you can walk the dusty roads with him; you can sit on a hillside and hear him teach. You can see, hear, and feel him calm the storms. You can walk with him and carry his cross to Calvary. You can watch him die slowly for you. Are you standing in need of a Heavenly Father’s blessing? Using your imagination reach out into eternity and spend valuable time with the God who loves you deeply and drink of his forgiveness.

Using your imagination you can ride on the wings of the Holy Spirit to new heights. You can soar high above the struggles of life and put them in eternal perspective. Using your imagination you can visualize the Holy Spirit defeating the principalities and powers of this world on your behalf and claim victory of evil.

Jesus himself used the journey of the imagination to teach in parables. Read the scriptures using your imagination and they will become real, they will become a part of your life. The journey of faith begins with the imagination and ends in the reality that God is, that Jesus is, that the Holy Spirit is, and you are eternally related with them. Journey to the dimension of the imagination you must, stay in it you must not.